Additional names

This is a hybrid fish. Originally believed to be a Severum and Midas Cichlidhybrid, they are in fact the result of breeding Paraneetroplus synspilus with Amphilophus citrinellus. Originally created in Taiwan and further line bred to the fish you see today. A thread on monsterfishkeepers.com showed the progression of a brood of fry obtained by breeding a Redhead Cichlid with a Midas Cichlid. The fry were a combination of traits from the adults, with many of them displaying 'Blood parrot' exaggerated morphology. They have been further linebred into Mammons and King Kong Parrots. Both of these developed strains have more natural morphology. The Kirin parrot is a cross between a Flowerhorn and a Blood Parrot that has been bred to retain the shape of the parrot, but the coloration of the Flowerhorn.

In recent years there has appeared to be more colors line bred for these fish, as well as an increase in less extreme morphology.

Red-orange in colour, with a short, almost stunted, round laterally compressed body. The mouth on this truly stands out as, because of the hybridisation, it is unable to close it's mouth fully. Due to the hybridisation they also often have other abnormalities such as deformed swimbladders, stunted spines and oddly, exceptionally large irises.

This fish is also commonly seen as a victim of being a dyed fish. Dyed Blood Parrots are often referred to as Jelly Bean. Their true colour is red to orange, anything other than that, or a red just too vibrant, they've been dyed. They have also been seen being victims of the horrific fad of tattooing fish, and even being mutilated to appear heart shaped by cruelly amputating the tail. More and more of these fish available nowadays have less, and less of said characteristic deformities, appearing more like normal cichlids, to the point that there are even fertile specimens.